July 29th, 2009
A woman who was left brain damaged due to errors at her birth has been awarded compensation to cover her long-term care.
Lucy Jones, now 24, was born at the former Princess Margaret Hospital in Swindon in February 1984, the Swindon Advertiser reports.
Although her mother was suffering problems, staff did not make the decision to carry out a Caesarean until 04:15 GMT, by which time Lucy had been starved of oxygen.
A subsequent investigation found that the operation could have been performed by 01:30 GMT in order to make the situation safer for the baby.
Lucy’s family took legal action against the Avon, Gloucester & Wiltshire Strategic Health Authority, which has now admitted liability and agreed to pay a seven-figure sum that should pay for Lucy’s care needs for the rest of her life.
According to Scope, approximately one in four children is born with cerebral palsy in the UK.
Tags: Advertiser Reports, Amp, Avon, Brain, Cerebral Palsy, Figure Sum, Former Princess Margaret Hospital, Gloucester, Gmt, Long Term Care, Lucy Jones, Negligence, Oxygen, Princess Margaret Hospital, Scope, Strategic Health Authority, Subsequent Investigation, Swindon Advertiser, Woman
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May 15th, 2009
A girl who was left severely brain damaged after she was starved of oxygen has secured a compensation payout of £4.8 million.
Jodie Stock, now 19, was born at the Royal Free Hospital but her mother suffered a placental abruption in the hours leading up to her birth. However, doctors did not perform an emergency Caesarean section, the BBC reports.
Consequently, Jodie was left with learning difficulties, epilepsy and motor problems and will need care for the rest of her life.
Through her mother Janet Taylor, Jodie took legal action against the North Central Strategic Health Authority.
It admitted 80 per cent liability for the injuries Jodie sustained and agreed to a payout of a £1.45 million lump sum and £106,160 a year for the rest of her life.
The family’s solicitor said the compensation will give Jodie’s parents "peace of mind" that she will be adequately cared for after they are gone.
According to the Centre for Neuro Skills, over 1,000 children die or suffer permanent brain injury every year in the UK because of shortage of oxygen around the time of birth.
Tags: Bbc, Bbc Reports, Brain Injury, Caesarean Section, Doctors, Epilepsy, Janet Taylor, Learning Difficulties, Left Brain, Lump Sum, Mother Janet, Neuro Skills, Oxygen, Parents, Peace Of Mind, Placental Abruption, Solicitor, Strategic Health Authority, Time Of Birth
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April 9th, 2009
A woman who suffered brain damage at birth is to receive compensation of more than £1 million after the hospital admitted to failings in her care.
Jackie Crothall went into hospital expecting twins in January 1988, but had started to experience difficulties, ThisisHampshire.net attests.
She was in need of an emergency Caesarean, but staff at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester failed to recognise this.
As a result, one twin died and the other, Becky Crothall, suffered brain damage that led to cerebral palsy.
Now 21, she is unable to go out alone and cannot be left unsupervised.
Through her mother, Becky took legal action against South Central Strategic Health Authority and has now secured the payout.
Her legal representative said that the money is not a windfall, but a just settlement to pay for Becky’s future care and the assistance she has already received.
According to Scope, one in 400 children in the UK suffers from cerebral palsy. Around ten per cent of cerebral palsy compensation claims are due to complications at birth.
Tags: 1 Million, 1m, Becky, Birth Injury, Brain Damage, Cerebral Palsy, Compensation Claims, Crothall, Expecting Twins, Future Care, Injury Victim, Legal Representative, Royal Hampshire County, Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Scope, Strategic Health Authority, Winchester, Windfall, Woman
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February 24th, 2009
A 21-year-old man has been awarded compensation following a high court hearing after it was ruled that an NHS trust was responsible for the injuries he sustained during his birth.
Christopher James Langford was born at Sandwell Hospital in Tipton in 1987, local paper the Express and Star reports.
However, his mother began to suffer complications during the delivery. Although an obstetrician was called, he did not arrive and Christopher was starved of oxygen. He went on to develop cerebral palsy.
The court heard that had the doctor arrived when he was called, Christopher could have been delivered within nine minutes and that he would not have developed the disorder.
He will now receive a payout from the West Midlands Strategic Health Authority which is likely to run into millions of pounds in order to cover the costs of his long-term care.
A spokesperson for the trust said it "deeply regrets" Christopher’s injuries and it is now working towards a compensation settlement for him.
According to figures from Scope, one in 400 children born in he UK has cerebral palsy.
Tags: Brain Damage, Cerebral Palsy, Express And Star, High Court Hearing, James Langford, Led, Long Term Care, Nhs Trust, Obstetrician, Old Man, Oxygen, Scope, Spokesperson, Strategic Health Authority, Tipton, West Midlands
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November 27th, 2008
A woman whose post-operative care was mismanaged by a hospital has received a substantial payout for the injuries she went on to sustain.
Clair Simpson, now 27, had open heart surgery for a congenital defect when she was 11 months old.
Although staff at the Royal Liverpool Hospital successfully carried out the operation, Ms Simpson’s drug therapy afterwards was not managed properly and she had a heart attack which caused brain damage, the Winsford Guardian reports.
She now needs round the clock care and will never be able to live independently.
Ms Simpson’s mother Veronica sued the North West Strategic Health Authority and it has now agreed upon a payout of £5.8 million in order to cover care for Clair in the family home.
"No sum of money can ever compensate Clair and ourselves for what we have lost," Veronica said.
Compensation for brain damage will often be more substantial than that for other injuries since it must cover care for the remainder of the person’s life in most circumstances.
Tags: Brain Damage, Brain Damaged Woman, Circumstances, Clock Care, Congenital Defect, Heart Attack, Ms Simpson, Open Heart Surgery, Post Operative Care, Remainder, Royal Liverpool Hospital, Strategic Health Authority, Sum Of Money, Veronica, Winsford Guardian
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